Beauty And The Beast
by PenNameHereTaken
Summary: The title comes from Caroline and Tyler, also known as Forwood.  Will most likely follow The Vampire Diaries, but I may change some things along the way.  The story starts right around when Tyler is about to change, but I made some things different.
1. The Beginning

**Hey, so, this is kind of like a Forwood (Caroline Forbes and Tyler Lockwood) story, except speeding up the whole process, because the producers are starting to drag with getting Caroline and Tyler together.  
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><p>Being a vampire was difficult.<p>

And it wasn't because I had to drink blood to keep myself alive, it was the part where I had to be careful where I lived, how I lived, who I became close with.

Who I grew to love.

Because falling in love with the wrong person, would completely mess me up.

But no, no, this isn't one of those stories where I love a human, and in the end I become human or the human becomes vampire.

This is something more deadly, more insane, hard to believe, a kind of love that should have never existed had I never decided to follow the Life Force Mystic Falls had.

What with its high end high schools, busy streets, family packed diners, and recession stricken look, this place was running with Life, drawing me in.

Then, I saw him. On the bus, to be exact. And I noticed him in particular because his smell was off, because he didn't seem entirely human.

There was also the way he was slowly drinking from the water bottle in his hands, always making like he was going to vomit, swallowing the solution down.

It was probably just ThermaFlu or something, right?

I stood for a couple of more minutes, trying to place his scent, wondering why his blood wasn't driving me as crazy as everyone else on this bus was. And through that thinking, the kid sitting next to him got up to leave, and I occupied the seat.

The next time he unscrewed the water bottle to drink from it, I inhaled deeply, catching exactly what it was he was drinking.

Wolfs bane.

I froze in place and used some of my Power, the one I could gain from drinking little bunnies' blood, to reach out and attentively search his mind, my senses hyperactive.

He gasped and the water bottle froze, hovering over his lips.

"What the hell?" He murmured, and I could feel his eyes move onto me.

I reeled back, looking at something, anything else, desperate for him not to know.

Because if someone knew you were searching their mind, they could pin point exactly who it was that was trying to do so.

"Excuse me," he said, his hand moving to my shoulder. I braced myself and turned to look at him, several other people on the bus staring at us.

He smiled, his grey eyes dark, and said, "I'm sorry, I thought you were someone I knew." And then, a whiplash to my mind.

_Get off _now.

One more look into his eyes and I knew he did it on purpose, that he knew I wasn't a part of the ignorant human society, that I was aware of who he was.

A werewolf. A werewolf ingesting wolfs bane.

I got up and pulling the string, causing the little bell to ding, moving to the door.

I felt him move close behind me, a wall around his mind, keeping me out.

This kid really knew his stuff.

The bus stopped and the doors opened. I pushed past them and walked out.

_Keep walking, don't turn around. Walk straight, and turn into the alley._

I followed what he instructed, when really, I wouldn't be able to give you an answer as to why I did.

Maybe it was fear at the moment, maybe it was because the full moon was so close, that I knew he was at his strongest point.

But whatever the reason, I didn't run.

I didn't want to, either way.

When I stepped foot into the privacy of the alley, his wall came down and he charged at me, barreling me against the wall.

"Who the hell are you?" He demanded, not bothering with silly introductions.

"That's none of your business," I threw back, not sure what I was feeling with his grip. "But I promise you, _dog_, one wrong move, and I'll tear you to shreds."

He grimaced and yanked me forward, throwing me back into the wall.

"_Who are you?_" He shouted, his eyes wild, the water bottle in his hand looking like it was going to explode.

I stayed still, scared for him, suddenly filled with fear.

"This is your first time," I muttered incoherently, the realization hitting me.

He was young, a year older than me at the most, making him around eighteen or nineteen. He was slowly ingesting the wolfs bane, when if you really wanted it to work to its full effect, you had to chug the stuff down, tasting the pure acidic taste of battery acid down your throat.

He was also scared that I knew what he was, that I was going to hurt him.

I could feel it radiating out of him.

"This is going to be your first time, isn't it?" I asked again, peeling myself off the wall, moving toward his now coward figure.

The sun was beating brilliantly outside of the alley, but the buildings cast shadows upon us, giving it an almost eerie feel.

"Who are you?" He asked again, softer, almost as if he was going to break soon.

"Look," I replied, shaking my head, gathering my thoughts.

Although he was for sure older than me, I could feel the little kid coming out of him, yearning for help.

My pulse began to quicken, the midday sun bright overhead.

"Are you a werewolf, or not?" I released, knowing he wouldn't take this well.

"What the hell do you care?" He retorted, his hand shifting grips on the water bottle he had. I turned my eyes to it and I saw his hand tense up.

"So, you're telling me if I were to take that water bottle from you, and, oh, I don't know, throw it all over you," I moved my eyes up to his. "You wouldn't start screaming in pain?"

"What are you?"

I softened my eyes, smiling gently.

"When did you kill them?" I tried, wanting nothing more than to honestly help him. "How long ago since you triggered the curse?"

"I am not telling you anything until you tell me something."

I sighed in desperation, bringing my hand to my head, trying to not make it obvious that I was reaching out to his mind again.

I spent about a second in before he responded.

"I know you're not human, because you keep trying to get into my mind, and I may be new, but my uncle told me enough for me to watch myself before he got up and left."

"You're uncle just left you?"

Another set of emotions triggered inside of me, most pain and sorrow for him, a stronger need to help him.

"You're uncle knew you were going to turn and he didn't _help_ you?"

"Is that why you're here?" He challenged, and he was now radiating a whole new set of emotions.

"Wait," I stammered, moving close to him, causing him to jump. I listened intently at the set of voices I was hearing, the way they were moving, the way they smelled.

"Are there any others… like you here?" I searched, looking up to him. And while a new fear started to rise in me, it sunk in just how tall he was. "Do you have somewhere we can go?" I asked, trying to show just how worried I was. "Because we really need to talk," I started pushing him the opposite direction of the voices. "Hold on," I said, grasping him from his arm, much to his dismay, setting off in a quick run.

The wind blew past our faces, the sounds of cars slowly running down the street, kids playing in the playground.

_How the hell is it that I'm moving this fast?_

I glanced at him and saw that he was looking at the ground, as if he could decipher how we were moving so quickly.

_You're a werewolf, I'm a vampire._

Of course, sending that thought was me just giving it a try, because I never expected his newly adjusted mind would be able to receive thoughts, just as well as he could send them.

But when he tensed up, I knew he'd heard me.

"I don't know why that scares me," he said, his eyes still on the ground. I stopped by the entrance of the forest, figuring he could tell me where we could go from here. "I figured you were a vampire, once you started moving that fast." He moved his eyes up to mine and I released the hold I had on his arm. "Can I trust you?"

I smiled, feeling he was already starting to trust me.

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><p><strong>So what did you think? Too fast paced? Too slow? Something I should explain?<br>Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. :)  
>Reviews=Inspiration to write.<br>**


	2. Tangled Emotions

**Second chapter. I'm trying to explain exactly how I'm seeing things, because I tend to write without writing certain details, thinking that what I'm thinking is what everyone else will be thinking, which isn't really the case... Help me out here and tell me what I could do to make it better? Thanks. :)**

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><p>"We left the alley because there were people coming," I explained watching as he looked around, surveying our surroundings. Shouldn't he already be accustomed to it? Not being the new one in town? "And no, not <em>humans<em>, but… other vampires. And I've gone unnoticed for a month here already, feeding off rabbits," I felt the need to add in the fact that I drank animal blood, because I didn't want him to think I would be massacring anyone from Mystic Falls. "I'm not like any other vampire. Even though blood does attract me and everything, even though I do feel like ripping people's throat out, I don't, because…"

I looked away from him, taking in the classical look of this place, the haunting presence of the forest's depth.

"It was during Mystic Falls' Founders Day Parade," he said, turning away from me, walking toward the lake front. "A couple of friends and I were in my dad's study, drinking some of his scotch." He swallowed hard and I watched as he sat down on the bench, setting the bottle down next to him. "I was being careful and everything, because my uncle Mason had been here before the parade, and he had told me everything.

"He had disappeared the night of the full moon, about two months ago, but at that moment, I didn't think anything of it. But then, I _made _him tell me because he was so desperate to get a hold of this moonstone, and my parents had it hidden in their study, along with the rest of the families artifacts.

"Then I followed him one night, last month's full moon, but he had enclosed himself in our family's tomb, on the Lockwood property." He shook his head, his back still to me. "Then he started screaming, and I had enough sense in me to record the sounds. I left , once I started hearing the growls, the dog barking, tearing at things…

"I showed him the video the next day, and he had no choice but to tell me. Then I started asking him if I would become that, and he told me I would have to trigger the curse." He let out a laugh, one short, tortured laugh. "He wouldn't tell me, and he wouldn't tell me, but I pissed him off so much one day, he just let it out."

_You have to kill someone to trigger the curse._

My heart ached a bit as I saw the image that accompanied his mind, his uncle, who looked different from his black haired, light tanned skinned self.

"And you wouldn't believe how much harder it was now to _not_ kill someone." He shook his head, turning to look at me.

"So, we were drinking scotch, and this one girl, she was coming at me, she kept provoking me, kept pushing me, then she took out a gun…" His eyes turned sad, dark. "I just took a knife that happened to be on my dad's desk and threw it at her the same time she pulled the trigger.

"Except she missed, and I didn't." He dropped his gaze, smiling, unable to hide the way it was filled with pain and fear. "I don't know how I pulled it off, but no one suspected it was me who killed her. But I felt it that night, something changing inside of me, something beginning to eat me away."

"And what about your uncle?" I asked, moving to join him on the bench. "Where was he then, when you… triggered the curse?"

"He was in the parade, but I told him later that night, when everyone came to look for the girl. I told him, and he cursed the hell out of me. But he agreed to help me, because my dad wouldn't be able to; because he was completely oblivious to the fact that the Lockwood's were werewolves. And because he was dead.

I opened my mouth to apologize, as if that would've helped anything, but he kept going.

"Anyways, he told me how I would change during the next full moon, how it would be the most painful transformation, and how I would have to find somewhere to change, somewhere where I wouldn't hurt anyone.

"He told me how if I drank wolfs bane, it would diminish my strength, but that was the last thing he ever told me, because he left, before he could tell me anything else."

He swallowed hard, looking out to the lake.

"You're scared," I concluded, seeing how he was shaking slightly.

"I'm terrified," he admitted, turning his moist eyes to me again. "There were these videos I found, these diary entries…" He laughed again, that tortured laugh. "You should've heard the screams…"

The anguish gasp in my throat held its place, tormenting me on the inside.

"I'm Caroline," I said, telling him the name I was given, when I was human, before I had been turned.

"Caroline?" He asked, turning to me. "Caroline Forbes?"

I kept my face passive, phrasing my next question.

"How-?"

"My uncle told me about you," he explained. "You were forced to be turned, because you had pissed this one vampire off and he turned you?"

"But how does-?"

"Because my uncle was into this whole paranormal things, and those other vampires you heard, Damon-"

"Damon's here?"

"Yea, and so is his other brother, Stefan." He watched my expression. "Damon's the one that changed you, wasn't he?"

"That son of a- Why didn't I recognize the _voice?_"

"Hey, _hey!_" He reached for me as I got up, pulling me down with the strength he had. "Where are you going?"

"To stake Damon's sadistic little heart," I hissed, clenching my teeth together.

He laughed, shaking his head. "You can't actually think you can take him, right?" I glared at him, trying not to break his hand. "Besides, he's surrounded. By a lot of people, too."

"It's just Stefan," I reasoned, turning off my emotions. "He feeds on bunnies, too. All I have to do is sneak up on Damon, and I'm done."

"No, it's not just Stefan, not anymore."

I let out a strangled laugh, my head spinning.

How oblivious was I to the world this past month that I didn't catch anything?

"They probably knew you were here," he suggested. "They're probably avoiding you."

I turned to him, studying him through narrowed eyes. "A Lockwood, huh?" I asked, racking my brains for any sort of information. But then again, I wasn't _that_ old.

"Tyler," he said, nodding a bit. "High school's douche bag."

I didn't know what to say, but my face probably posed the question I couldn't.

"You know how there's 'Most Likely To Succeed' and 'Best Smile'?"

"You'd win the award for being a…"

"Douche bag, a jerk, an asshole." He shrugged, crossing his arms and looking out into the distance. "Not exactly the friendliest guy."

"Since when?" I asked, trying not to laugh. "Now?"

He cracked another smile.

"So…" I said, thinking of the possibilities of phrasing my next question. "What are you planning on doing about… when you change?"

His smile froze, hardening.

It would be so easy to run away right now, to disentangle myself from this kid and go find Damon, preoccupy myself with him, the real jerk in this situation.

"Why did Damon change you?"

I fell back a bit, mentally, the question taking me off guard.

"That doesn't matter," I said, looking up at the sun, instinctively reaching for my necklace, the one that kept me protected from the sun's damaging effects. "I'm not the one who's about to go through the, probably, most worst experience in my life."

"But you are the one willing to get herself into some serious trouble by going after him."

I raised my brow questioningly, knowing he was bringing up the walls around his mind again, not letting me know everything he knew. "How do you know, about Damon? About how much of a threat he is?"

He just stared at me, smiling slyly.

"I'm not stupid," he said, strengthening the wall around his mind. "Once I turned, I pinpointed exactly who the vampires were, and I confronted Stefan about it, why they were here, what they wanted.

"He said he was just here to protect Elena, and that so was Damon, but that he could easily get blown off track, if another threat presented itself." He dropped his gaze, blinking slowly. "Then he showed up, and after slamming me against the wall, told me how much I would regret it if I ever tried to mess with him. I'm not scared of him, but I know he isn't anyone to mess with."

"He changed me, though," I countered, clenching my teeth together. "I didn't want to be changed. But he forced me, he _made_ me change. And I'll never forgive him for it."

Tyler stirred next to me, sitting up straighter.

"Why?" He breathed, as if not wanting to aggravate me more. "Why did he change you, if you were so against it?"

I glanced at him, and saw that he really was interested, that the fear he had been showing not to long ago, at the possible danger that I posed to him, was now gone, that he actually wanted to know as much about me as, well, as much as I wanted to kill Damon.

Which I did, at the moment. But, once I came face to face with the opportunity, I knew I wouldn't be able to do it, because of so many reasons.

I sighed and braced myself, letting a werewolf I had met mere minutes ago, into the tangled soap opera that was my life.

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><p><strong>Reviews gives me more motivation to write, because then I know if people actually read and like my story.<strong>


	3. Mates

**Hey guys. So, this one's kind of a long one. I would've updated yesterday, but FF wouldn't let me upload the file. Anyways, here you go.**

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><p>"I was… human, before," I said, confused as to where to start.<p>

He just gave me this look and said, "Really?"

"You know what I mean," I added, crossing my arms. "I was in the woods one night, back where I'm from, in New Jersey…" I tried to keep myself from going under, from letting the memory engulf me all over again. "You know how people are, right?" I asked, turning to him, feeling as if my reason for having been in the forest were now pitiful. "My fried had gotten a bottle of scotch, we've never tasted scotch-"

"I get it," he interjected, nodding solemnly.

I nodded back and continued, trying not to let out everything I was feeling.

"I wandered away, from being that drunk. I saw Damon, and… I don't know…" I sat back in the bench, trying to figure out exactly what it was I was feeling. "He was muttering things, about someone having not been somewhere, about how it always happened to him, how he ended up alone." I looked back up at Tyler, seeming to find comfort in his brown eyes. "He came up to me and was all… 'You'll never leave me, right? You'll stay with me forever?' And, _I was drunk_, I was _stupid, foolish_, I said _yes._

"And then he bit me." I looked away from him for a second, the intensity of his eyes too much at the moment. "When a vampire bites you, and you don't expect it, when they're being aggressive, or if it's against your will, it hurts, and it hurts a lot. It was as if he were tearing at my throat, digging his _fangs_ into me, ripping at it…

"I was on the verge of passing out, but then he put his hand to my mouth, and I was drinking his blood." I smiled softly, not knowing what was running through his mind, his mouth set in a straight line, his jaw tight, his face passive. "Being drunk and light headed, I drank, and drank, and drank."

"And he killed you?" I nodded once, bowing my head, looking at the water spiked with wolfs bane. "What did he do? Snap your neck? Finish drinking all of your blood?"

I laughed, but it sounded mangled and depressed.

"I wish it would have been that easy." I shook my head, turning my hand to look at the faint markings of fingernails. "He dug his hands into my skin," I explained. "All over, ripping it off. Then he went for my limbs, twisting them in ways I never thought would have been possible, filling me with a pain-" I gasped slightly, feeling the pain all over again. "A pain that was… it was just horrible.

"He broke each of my fingers and _then_, he bent down and kissed my forehead, as if he had any right to.

"He left me there to die. A slow, painful death where I bled my insides out."

He leaned his head to the side, his eyes trying to decipher what I wouldn't let him see.

"When I did wake up, it was… confused… lost… I was alone, Tyler." He finally dropped his eyes, giving me the freedom to sigh. "And then I stumbled across my friends…" He looked back up. "You can guess the rest, right?"

He nodded, smiling, I guess.

"How'd you find out who he was?"

"That part is easy enough." I glanced down at my watch and saw that there was still about ten hours before the moon decided to rise. "He looked for me. Came to me, told me how he was…" I shook my head. "He was vulnerable the night before, and that something had come over him, something that scared him, and that he was sorry.

"I bit him," I said, glad I at least did something to hurt him. "But he threw me off like a rag doll." I shrugged, smiling a bit again. "Then he ran. And I've been looking for him ever since. Stefan met with me once, to try and help me with being a vampire, but he wouldn't tell me where Damon was. He just showed me how I could eat animal blood and survive. Then, he too, picked up and left."

He stirred, moving in his seat, letting his arm hang behind the bench.

"Well, I'm glad we've gotten past all the awkward situations."

"Are you scared?" I asked, jumping at the fact that he had acknowledged that we could comfortable talk about things.

And I really was curious. Ever since Damon had changed me, I'd had extra time, and I read up on everything else supernatural.

The experience would be painful for him, and he would probably be driven to tears.

"Of course, I'm scared," he said, meeting my gaze directly.

The fact that he always did this _made_ me comfortable around him, as if he really was someone worth trusting.

"Bodily mutilations? Changing into a _dog?_" He gave me a "come on" look, smiling just as I felt I looked when I tried to smile. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared."

"I can help you," I offered, knowing exactly what I would get myself into, but feeling I had to help him and not leave him alone. Not during his first transformation anyways.

He shook his head, his mouth open as if he were going to say something.

"I know where your family's tomb is at," I said, already having pinpointed every place in this town, just never associating it with names. "I'm meeting you there whether you want me to or not, okay?"

His mouth was still opened, and he wasn't meeting my gaze.

"And what's with the wolfs bane?" I asked, grabbing the bottle from between his hand. "It'll just diminish your strength, not make the transformation any less painful."

"Thanks," he said, smiling sarcastically at me. "As if I wasn't worried about this enough already."

"Sorry," I replied, going for a smile. "But stop drinking it, okay? You'll just end up numbing yourself from the inside."

He leaned his head to the side again, meeting my eyes again, making me feel like I had to look away, but like I didn't want to.

"What makes you care so much?"

"Tyler," I rolled my eyes. Had he not listened to what happened to me? "I was alone when I woke up. I…" My sarcastic tone faltered, and my smile fell. "Killed people, Tyler." I didn't know why but saying his name made him all that more real, as if I now had someone who would understand exactly all I went through. "I don't want you to hurt anybody, I don't want you to feel the way I feel."

"You'll run the second I tell you to run?" He asked, his eyes completely serious, seeming to intensify by the minute. "You won't stay and let yourself get mauled?"

I nodded, not really planning on leaving.

He seemed to half buy it, because he nodded, while still looking at me.

"Meet me by the tomb at eight, alright? The moon is set to be at its highest point at ten, so that should give us enough time to get things ready."

"Okay." I smiled and nodded one more time, getting up.

But he grabbed for my wrist.

"Where are you going?"

I turned, smiling while slightly questioning him.

"I have to go deal with my own personal issues."

He closed his eyes for a bit, looking away, then back at me.

"Promise me you won't go and get yourself killed?"

I shook my head.

"Tyler, I'm not getting myself killed today because I have to help you get through this." He looked like he was biting back a smile. "I'll see you soon," I added, as he dropped his hand, and I burst away, setting my mind on where exactly I was going to go, following the faint scent I had picked up not to long ago.

I stood in front of the large house, hearing a certain breathing inside, but no vampire presences.

I knocked on the door and held my breath, not sure what I would be facing.

The door opened a bit, and a tan girl with brown hair stood before me.

A witch.

I could feel it.

"Hi, um, is Damon here?"

"Who's asking for him?" She said, and I immediately felt something probing on the exterior of y mind.

A smart witch. One that was experienced, one that knew her stuff.

"And what are you doing with Tyler?"

I sighed, holding inside me my impatience.

"I can't go through this whole explanation thing again. But can I come in? I'll explain everything."

She looked me over once more, before stepping back.

I took one step forward, and slammed straight into the shield the home had.

More than vampires lived in this house.

"My name is Caroline, Damon turned me into a vampire about a year ago, I was on the bus in the morning and I met with this werewolf. I was searching his mind and he felt it, he made me get off and he confronted me. To make that long story short, he's now my best friend. I guess. I like him, he's okay, and I'm going to help him with his first transformation tonight."

"Tyler?"

"Tyler Lockwood," I confirmed, nodding.

"Did you say he could feel you trying to get into his mind?"

"Yea." I smiled, but then it fell. "Why?"

She looked pensive, and then opened the door the full way. "Come in," she said, and this time, when I stepped through, I didn't slam into anything.

She closed the door behind me, walking past me.

"My name's Bonnie Bennett-"

Holy hell. A Bennett witch.

Yea, once you knew where to look, you can find out anything about anyone.

"And I think I know why Tyler knew you were trying to get into his mind." She pulled a book out of the huge bookshelf in front of her, flipping through the pages wildly.

"Because he's a freaking werewolf," I said, that being the only logic that crossed my mind. "I could read his mind because I was a vampire. We could read each others minds because-"

"You guys are mates."

I held my finger in the air, my next words frozen in my throat.

_Mates?_

"Yea," I said, trying to recover myself. "I'm mated to a werewolf."

Holding the book, she moved around the desk, toward me.

"So, you didn't feel the intensity of his eyes? He hasn't made you promise him things? You don't feel the need to help him?" She looked up at me. "Didn't you say you were going to help him with his first transformation?"

"Because I know how horrible it is to be alone, not because I'm mated with him!"

She smiled cunningly, closing the book.

"Call him," she ordered.

"What do you mean-?"

"With your mind." She nodded. "Call him with your mind. Just say his name, call him."

I felt my eyes widened, but then there was also something inside me that was telling me the truth.

Bracing myself, I called out to him.

_Uh, Tyler?_

_**Caroline?**_

I fought to keep the surprise of my face while saying, "I don't hear him."

"You realize I'm a witch, right?" She said, biting back a smile. "I can feel it when you two exchange things. And right now, he's desperately thinking thoughts to you."

I bit my lip as I tried to ignore the gibberish Tyler was sending my way.

_Did you call me? Caroline? __**Caroline?**_

I shoved him out, something bursting inside of me.

I laughed and shook my head.

"I came here to stab Damon in the heart, not to find out the kid I happened to stumble upon was my-"

"Soulmate? Mate? Love of your life?"

"No," I said, shaking my head. "He's not."

"So, if I say that I could find a way to make it that you go through the transformation tonight instead of him?"

"You'd be lying," I said, blowing her bluff as quick as she said it.

She shook her head, opening the book again, flipping much less this time, showing me the pages.

I scanned it, the words sinking in.

_How to switch with your mate_.

"What the hell?" I asked, looking up at her. "Where do you _get_ these things?"

She shrugged, closing the book. "Other witches."

"Fine." I said, crossing my arms, challenging her. "Make us switch places."

"Because you love him?"

I gasped, uncrossing my arms.

"Oh, come on," she said, smiling. "I don't really know you or anything, but I know enough to know that you care about him. Even though you just met him, you guys hit it off immediately. You want me to switch you guys so he won't suffer."

I resisted the urge to mock her, my legs shaking.

But…

No, no, no, no.

None of it was true.

I just didn't want Tyler to go through what I went through.

_Because you care._

No, no _no._

I groaned out in frustration.

"Just switch us, okay? Before it's too late."

She nodded, opening the book again, using her witch powers to pull up a chair for me, motioning for me to sit down.

"You need to think about him," she said, setting the book on the table, placing her hands on my head. "Which, even though you don't want to admit, you do all the time."

"Quit it," I snapped, digging my fingernails into my palms.

"Relax," she said, noticing my tense position. "Think about him."

I sighed and leaned on the chair, thinking of the tiny things I knew of Tyler.

His guts to be drinking wolfs bane, on a bus, slowly, determined to work his way through the water bottle, wanting to diminish his strength, knowing what was coming to him soon, the screams he had told me about, the way his eyes looked lost and helpless when he told me how he killed the girl, how intense and fierce they were when he was listening to me.

How I was going to risk myself to join him in the tomb, just so he wouldn't be alone.

_Face it, Caroline. You just met the kid, but you're crushing on him big time._

I heard his tortured laugh, saw his brown eyes, his strong jaw, his sweet, heart melting smile, and then I felt someone else join me in my mind.

_Caroline?_

_Tyler?_

I could feel him smiling, I could feel how the happiness was running through him.

_What are you doing?_

_Tyler!_ I remarked, mentally laughing. _I just left!_

_It's been a while,_ he defended, and then I felt compelte peace, as if he was laying back on something. _So, you find Damon yet?_

_No,_ I said, sighing. _I'm at this house, it looks like a boarding house, except it's… roomier. He wasn't here._

_So where are you now?_

_Waiting for him, I guess. I ran across a witch. Bonnie?_

_Yea, I know her._

_She didn't really trust me at first, so I had to tell her how I knew Damon and everything…_

I felt him smile, and I seemed to relax even more.

"It's done." Bonnie said, releasing the hold she had on me.

_It's done…_

_What's done? _He asked.

Oops.

_My sadness,_ I blurted, desperately reaching for something. _Hey, I have to go, but I'll meet you later, like we said?_

_I'm not really sure we can just hang up…_

I laughed, out loud, and Bonnie looked at me strangely, but then she smiled, knowing exactly what was going on.

_Preoccupy yourself with thinking how it won't hurt, okay?_

_How are you so sure?_

_Tyler, you'll have to learn to trust me._

I pictured him nodding, biting his lip, as he didn't reply, filling my head with an empty silence.

"Face it, Caroline," Bonnie said. "You're crushing on him big time."

And instead of wanting to snap at her for making that comment, I had to work extremely hard to bite back my smile.

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><p><strong>Do you guys think I could get more reviews? Because I honestly want to know if people are liking my story or not. Not getting that many reviews makes me think people aren't readingliking my story.  
><strong>


	4. Transformation

**This one I wrote after watching a bunch of Forwood videos. :)**

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><p>It was past eight when I started heading toward the tomb, the moon beginning its descent to the middle of the sky.<p>

And poor Tyler was worried that he would have to endure hell in a couple of minutes.

I looked back down, continuing my walk, thinking of ways I could tell Tyler I would be going through the transformation with him.

There were a couple of ways I could do this, but my imagination wasn't really good, so it stopped right after I confessed, Tyler's reaction a complete mystery to me.

I would find out soon enough, though, right?

Whether he liked it or not.

_Caroline?_

My insides froze, and I shoved away any thoughts of tonight, of the transformation, anyways.

_What's up?_ I asked, hearing the shifting of chains on the other side.

_You're late._

I smiled, the response having been unconscious.

_Sorry, I didn't mean that. It's just that, well, you know-_

_I'll be there Tyler. I was just walking, to burn time. But I'll be there. Give me, literally, one minute._

More shifting of chains and then, _Okay. I'll try not to do anything until you get here. Then I'll explain to you what I'm planning._

I ran into the tomb, stopping abruptly, taking in the scene before me.

He was kneeled, pulling at the chains on the ground, as if testing them.

"Are you sure those'll hold?" I asked, moving beside him.

He looked up, surprise in his face for a moment, but then it left, and he looked back down.

"The guy at the shop said it would support twenty five hundred pounds."

"Is it enough?"

He yanked at them and dropped them, getting up and moving away from it.

"I guess we'll find out."

_Tyler?_

He turned his head, telling me he was listening.

_Remember how I told you I met Bonnie?_

He nodded, half of his attention on me, the other half on what was about to happen.

_Tyler, I made her switch us._

He turned a bit more, looking at me.

_I'm the one that's going to be changing tonight._

I waited, this being the part my imagination couldn't come up with.

"I appreciate the effort," he said, turning away from me, moving towards the backpack he had brought. "But making me feel like I shouldn't expect it won't make it hurt any less."

And no wonder my imagination couldn't come up with this moment.

He didn't believe me?

"Tyler," I said, bolting to his side again, grabbing onto his forearm as he went through the bag, taking out a Dartmouth sweater and a pair of joggers. "Remember how I said you would have to trust me?"

He ignored me, placing the clothes beside the bag, taking his shoes off.

I bit back my words, knowing he would believe it soon, that it would sink in.

"Do you mind locking the cuffs around me?" He asked, taking his shoes off.

"Whoa, you're not going to get… naked, are you?"

He stopped and looked at me, laughing once. "I don't think I can exactly keep my clothes on while I change."

"You can," I argued, grabbing a hold of his hand as he made to take off his shirt. "Because you _aren't _changing."

"Caroline," he snapped, pulling his hand away from mine. His eyes were angry now.

Yea, I really didn't know him.

"Stop it, okay? Whatever you're trying to do, just stop it."

"I'm not doing anything, though!" I threw back, grabbing for his arms again, stopping him from getting read to chain himself. "Look at me, Tyler, _look at me!_"

He stopped struggling and did as I said, his breathing ragged, his mouth set in a tight line.

"Just tell me you're lying and I won't be mad," he said, containing himself. _Tell me you don't mean any of it, tell me you really didn't get yourself into this._

I looked away from him, thinking of all that Bonnie had told me.

About him being my _mate_, how, no matter how much I didn't wanted to believe it because I had just met him and it seemed wrong, I loved him.

I had grimaced at that part, never having _loved_ anything or anyone.

But once she gave me the scenario, that I was willing to give up my comfort for his, that I was about to go through with this transformation… well, it seemed hard to deny.

"You did, didn't you?" He asked, softening in my grasp. "But why did you _do_ it? All you were supposed to do was come and help me, comfort me, tell me that everything was okay when it was over." He broke away from my hold, his gentleness stronger than my inhuman strength. "Caroline, why'd you do it?"

"I know what it feels like," I mumbled, looking toward the bolts and chains, to where I would soon be, crying out in pain. "To feel what you're supposed to feel tonight. I had my skin almost peeled off me, I had my throat almost ripped off, my limbs broken…" I smiled and looked back to him. "I couldn't just let anyone go through with that kind of pain." He didn't react, showing no emotion. "It killed me to think that anyone would have to endure something worse than I did."

"But why would you switch with _me?_" He grabbed my shoulder, shaking me roughly. "Remember? I'm an ass, I'm someone you don't do favors for!"

"You listened," I interjected, breaking through his tirade. "While I walked the ground as a vampire, I never found someone as willing to let me in as you were, and no one that listened as well as you did.

"I saw how much you were dieing, how you were regretting what was going to happen."

_But why me?_

I exhaled my breath, and he dropped his hands.

"Can you talk mentally with anyone else, Tyler?" I asked, grabbing a hold of this moment, knowing it would be the right moment to tell him we were… mated. "Have you ever talked with someone like you talked with me?" _Using your thoughts?_

_No._ "But what does that have to do anything?"

I smiled and grabbed his arm, pulling him to sit down on top of a flat rock, one that looked like a ledge.

"You're a werewolf, yes?"

"Come on, Care," he said, shaking his head at me. I just felt another smile coming on, that annoying nickname everyone always gave me, sounding perfect coming from him.

"Okay, well, the only explanation I can give you is from that Twilight book."

He laughed, giving me one of his smiles, the ones where he showed his teeth, where he was laughing and smiling.

"You know how the werewolf kid in the book imprints with that half vampire half human baby?"

His smile diluted, and a thoughtful look crossed his face.

"Imprint?"

"This is all Bonnie's theory," I said, not wanting the whole mates thing to be fake and have to look like an idiot in front of him. "But… she says the only people who can read each others minds, when a werewolf is involved-"

"Are mates?"

I turned to look at him, my eyes having wandered away with my babbling.

_So, you think we're mates?_

"Bonnie's the one that said it, because she said we weren't supposed to be able to read, or get, into each other's mind. And then she said that me being able to mentally call you was the ultimate thing that showed that we were-"

"Mated?"

I nodded, biting my lip, unsure of what to do.

I now felt stupid having brought it up, for having believed Bonnie.

She probably just told me that so I would purposefully look stupid in front of Tyler, probably some revenge set on me for having wanted to kill Damon.

_I believe it._

My eyes sought out Tyler's and he smiled, sadly.

_Which makes you having switched places with me that much more horrible._

I dropped my eyes again, back to where I would soon be bound, to keep myself from hurting Tyler.

I did all of this to prevent Tyler from hurting.

"Do you get why I had to do it now?"

He laughed again. "No. Just because we're mates doesn't mean you had to switch places with me."

"Look at it this way," I said, still not turning to look at him, the fact that we were now bound for who knew how long thick in the air. It wasn't that it was uncomfortable, hell, it made me more comfortable, knowing he would be okay with me just curling up in his lap. "If you could switch places with me right now, for you to be the one to switch and not me-"

"I'd do it without thinking."

"Why?" I persisted, wanting him to get where I had found my reasoning.

It was beating in my mind, the _real_ reason as to why I switched, I was just to much of a coward to face it.

_Because I love you?_

I blinked, unable to help but smile.

"And you say you're an ass," I said, laughing a bit. "Gosh, Tyler… Even if I am about to be bodily mutilated again," I turned to look at him, smiling whole heartedly. "To know that you won't feel the worst of it, makes me think it'll be less painful."

He shook his head, leaning back onto the tombs wall.

_You shouldn't have done it, Care,_ he thought, sighing, looking up. _I'm the one who has to go through with this, not you._

"But it's okay," I added, letting my hand find his, holding on to it tightly. "As long as, when I do start actually changing, you leave, and don't come back until I call you."

He shook his head again, meeting my eyes for a second, looking away.

"And about nine hours ago I wanted to kill you for having tried to get into my mind." He smiled absently. _And now? I'd be willing to draw any amount of blood if it meant being in my rightful place, and having you be the one to run._

"It's too late now, Tyler." I got up and walked over the bag he had brought, rummaging through its contents.

I took out the bottle, tinged green, holding it up to the lantern hanging in the middle of the tomb.

"Do you think it'll have the same effects on me now?" I asked, watching as the water caught the light, casting a shadow against the wall. "Do you think it'll hurt me as much as it hurt you?"

"That," he said, snatching the bottle away from me. "We won't _ever _find out." _Okay?_

I smiled cunningly, watchign how he held the bottle behind his back.

"If I try hard enough, I could get that bottle away from you," I said, gently reaching behind his back, causing him to move away, the bottle as far away from me as he could manage. _Oh, come on, Tyler. You have inhuman strength to, but it doesn't really compare to mine._

At that, he smiled.

_Just don't go for the wolfs bane, okay?_ I nodded, actually meaning it. I would try anything to not get out of this tomb. He narrowed his eyes at me, curious. _Do you mind if I try something?_

About a million kissing scenes crossed his mind, seeping into mine.

I blinked once, and I think I nodded, because he threw the bottle behind him, moving toward me.

I held my breath as he stood before me, just looking at me.

_This seems so strange, that I just met you, but I feel like I've known you my entire life._

I smiled, blinking as his hand moved to my neck.

I started to close my eyes, but then there was a faint howling sound in the background, and inside my mind, I saw the moon reach its highest point, a little to early, and then my back arched, my bones cracking.

_No,_ Tyler yelled, grabbing me from my elbows, holding me up as I cried in pain. _You weren't supposed to start changing or another hour._

There was another small howl in my mind, and my hand twisted backward, out of Tyler's grasp, my bones slowly protruding through my skin, on the verge of breaking through.

"Tyler!" I gasped, not ever having imagined being in his arms because I was cowering from pain.

We were on the ground, as I had taken him down with me.

"GO, Tyler, _GO!_"

"No!" He fought, his soft hands moving over my leather jacket, feeling the way two movements had transformed my body. "Not yet, Caroline, please don't make me go."

"Tyler-" I gasped in pain again, my middle bursting with pain, my hand twisting that much more, pulling my ligaments to an extreme, flames engulfing my insides.

I realized I was gasping and crying when Tyler started to soothe me.

_I told you Caroline, you should've left this to me, you shouldn't be going through this._

Or not really comforting me, but telling me how wrong I had been about wanting to have switched.

I readied myself to tell him how I did have to change, but then my insides started to change even more, my mind going with it.

All I wanted now was to _kill_, and to kill fast.

"_Tyler_," I shouted, using my knees to pull away from him, containing the new being inside of me enough to get him to leave. "Get out _now! Leave Tyler!"_

He shook his head and moved toward me again, but I lifted my feet and used them to kick him away from me, to the door.

"_Get out now!"_ I yelled, fighting an internal battle.

_I hate myself for doing this,_ he thought, watching as I continued to cry, folded into myself, the sensations moving throughout my body unbelievable. _Make sure you call me as soon as you change back._

I cried out in pain again and he flinched, moving to close the door, lock it, and disappear from my sight.

I then let go, and went through the next fifteen minutes horribly. Then a new set of vibrations started to move throughout my body, and I felt myself changing.

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><p><strong>And thanks for the reviews guys. They really do inspire me to write more, and to try and update faster.<strong>

**Oh, and sorry for any spelling mistakes I make.**


	5. Revelations

**Your guys' reviews literally made me smile. And inspired me to write more.  
>I'm really glad you guys like the story. :) Sorry this one took longer to update.<strong>

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><p>When I came around, it was dark and cold. And I hadn't been out for more than five minutes.<p>

I shivered as the wind blew again, and slowly sat up, the sweater I had managed to yank on before I passed out clinging to my sweat drenched body. I felt bad, wearing the sweater while I was _sweating_, but I was cold, too. It was like a fever.

_Tyler?_ I called, crawling over to the wall, leaning on it, exhausted, my body aching.

I felt it when he heard me, and I also felt him getting up, his footsteps pounding on the ground.

_I'll be there soon, Caroline, just hold on for a while._

I groaned as tendrils of pain crept up my back, the change back into my human form even more painful than changing into a werewolf.

Because having changed back into a human meant stretching my ligaments and bones, making them sore and painful.

I tried to not focus on the pain, reeling in the fact that I hadn't bitten myself, for if I had… well, I wasn't really sure what would've happened, but it probably wouldn't have been good either.

Searching for some distraction, I searched blindly for Tyler, falling into his mind as easily as if it were an instant attraction.

He laughed faintly, making me smile, providing the perfect distraction.

_Of course, it's an instant attraction,_ he said, taking this mating thing better than I was.

I was still cautious with it, not wanting to seem stupid completely jumping at him because we were mates, but then again, I couldn't wait for him to get here, to be able to bury myself in him, to have him hold me until the pain went away.

_Which is why I'm taking this mating thing better than you are,_ he added. _Whenever you think unconscious thoughts like that it's because it's you thinking them and not just because you know I'm listening. You almost never remember I'm listening._

_It's not that I forget…_ I replied, leaning helplessly on the wall. _I could never actually forget that you have complete access to my thoughts, but they just seem to happen… I get carried away sometimes._

I felt him smile, and then I heard his footsteps, running down the stairs, taking the bolts off the door, opening it, and I felt him, fiddling with the lock on the second door, the one I distinctly remember wanting to tear down, but running away from it, knowing that if I got past it, it would be bad.

"Caroline?"

He knelt beside me, his hands grabbing for my face.

"What is it, Caroline? What hurts?"

I tried my best to sit up, hearing the tear-y edge to his voice, and opened my eyes, looking to see him there, as if he were close to tears.

"Hey," I said, reaching for him as well. _There's no need to __**cry**__. I'm fine._

"Caroline, I feel it," he grasped my shoulder, making me cry out in pain. "And you're going to tell me you're fine?"

I nodded and leaned forward, my torso giving up in trying to support me.

He hugged me tightly, taking away some of the pain.

_I told you you should've never have done this,_ he said softly, burying his head on top of mine.

"It's over now," I mumbled, completely glad it was over. "But if it makes any difference," I said, looking up at him. "I would go through it a million more times. Just for you."

"Shut up, Caroline," he said, smiling. "But why don't I get you home?"

"I'd rather not get into details as to where I live."

"No, no," he said, softly brushing my damp hair away from my face. "I'm sure my mom won't mind if I bring in a stray puppy."

I was going to snap at him, but then I smiled, laughing. He laughed with me, and it was almost hard to believe that he was real.

"It's almost hard to believe _you're_ real," he retorted, grabbing my face tightly, holding it close to his. "I keep thinking you'll get up and leave any moment now."

I shook my head, touching my nose to his.

"I thought of doing that, before we got into our whole life stories, but you won't have to worry about any of that happening." _If there is anyone that will ever want to break it off, it's going to have to be you._

_It'll be you,_ he said, smiling. _Because to think that you'll stay with me…_

_Is completely reasonable, because I would never think of leaving._

He shook his head and hugged me again, making me feel more at peace than I ever have.

After having fought with Tyler that I _could_ walk to his car, he had decided I was weak enough to not put up a fight and carried me there, and the same when we got to his house.

His mom had been asleep, so I avoided a confrontation with her, and after having soaked in warm water for what seemed like _hours_, I was in a pair of clean clothes Tyler had let me borrowed, patiently waiting on his bed as he finished cleaning up.

When he did come out of the bathroom in his room, he was shirtless, rubbing his hair with a towel.

"Gosh, Tyler," I scoffed, pulling the covers up to shield my face. "Go change why don't you!"

"Well, I thought about that, but then I figured, what the hell?" The bed shifted with his weight and then I felt his warmth beside me. "I mean, we'll be doing this more often, won't we? Sleeping in the same bed?" He pulled the sheet away from my face, winking. "You don't think I plan on letting you go back to living alone, right?"

"I don't think you're mom would be completely ready to welcome me with open arms either."

_And if she doesn't she'll have to deal with me._

"I'd rather not be the possible reason you and your mom get into a fight," I said, leaning on him.

"But you're not going back to living in that hotel," he persisted, his hand unconsciously rubbing my cheek. "You've done so much for me, just let me do this for you."

"All I did was go through one night-not even, a couple of hours-"

"And I am still feeling everything you're feeling right now. I felt it when you were being torn in half, I _heard_ your screams, Caroline. You can't just go through something like that and be okay!"

"Alright, alright!" I said, moving to cover his mouth with my hand. _If you're going to yell, do it mentally._

_Okay, fine, if you say so._ He took my hand away from his mouth and grabbed my face like he had done earlier, bringing me close to him. _This sounds completely insane, but it's everything I was feeling when I was waiting for you to change back._

_Caroline, I hated myself for what I was, for having gotten you into that mess. I'm sorry I was so stupid and careless, I mean, I could read your mind, and I should have been able to detect it, I guess. But, yea, while I was sitting miles away from you, I was thinking of ways I could open up to you, the way you always do unconsciously about me. You know how you always think things like, "I would only do this for him," or "it seems weird to think, but I can't wait for him to come back-"_

"You heard all of that?" I asked, blushing slightly.

_Of course, I did, Care. And I loved hearing it, because it made me feel like I was someone inside, as if I was actually worth something, and I know, you're going to say I am worth something, but before you, before we started actually talking, I didn't feel like anyone. I was, I guess you can say, dead inside. I was desperate and I was alone, drinking the wolfs bane to try and keep myself under control. I was all alone before you, Caroline. If it wouldn't have been for you, I'd probably be curled on the ground crying my eyes out because of the pain I would be in. It would've sunk in just how alone I was at that moment. But being here with you, holding you right now…_

I smiled, already hearing his words.

_I think I love you, Caroline. And it isn't that, you're-my-girlfriend-so-I'm-going-to-say-I-love-you I love you, it's a I-want-to-spend-the-rest-of-my-life-with-you I love you._ He sighed, exhaustion radiating out of him. _I was going insane, waiting for you to call me, to be able to hold you for real, and not hold you because you were in pain and I was trying to keep you from falling hard to the ground._

I smiled wider, looking away from him, but he was being completely serious right now, and his hands were slightly forcing me to look back at him, his eyes searching for mine.

"What is it?" He asked, insecurity coloring his tone. "I went to far, didn't I?"

I felt him shrink back, but I reached for him, keeping him close.

"Not at all, Tyler," I said, holding tightly to his forearms. "If anything, you didn't go far enough."

He snickered and turned his head away from me.

"You forgot the part where you promised to never leave _me_, the way I'll always be there for you." His snicker faltered, and his pressed his lips together. "How, no matter how big the risk of me being with you is, I'll deal with it to not have to go back to the way I used to be.

"Which reminds me…" I said, turning to look at his clock. There was still a couple of hours left till sun rose. "I need to feed tomorrow…"

I looked back at him, smiling.

"See? This is what you'll have to deal with. An overemotional vampire who has to constantly feed."

He smiled slightly, his hand taking up the place next to my cheek.

_That's nothing compared to me. You're actually worth it-_

"And so are you, Tyler!"

He closed his eyes, shaking his head and looking away, letting go of my face.

"Look," I said, trying to explain it to him. "I'm not minding whatever you did before I happened to stumble across you. Forget everything else you ever did. If one day we have to deal with it, we'll deal with it, okay? But just let it go!"

"It's going to catch up to me," he said, still not meeting my eyes. _It'll all come back one day._

I held in my groan and went in a different direction.

"I killed my family," I blurted, still not getting a response from him. "It was my friends I stumbled across first, the ones that completed the change into a vampire. But then I went home, for some stupid reason, and my family… they were _humans_, Tyler. I killed every single one of them. My mom and my dad."

He glanced up at me, looking torn between believing me or not.

"You can answer that yourself, Tyler." I said. _Read every single one of my thoughts. Everything. You'll sense if I'm trying to hide something from you, and, honestly, Tyler, I'm not. I'm here until the end._

He sighed and reached out to me, hugging me to him.

_There you go again, saying those things._

"Is it a bad thing?"

_No, not even. But it's just so hard to think that you won't get up and leave like so many others._

"Anyone we were to tell this to would probably think we were just kidding, that we couldn't possibly feel this way in such a short amount of time, but we aren't just anybody else."

He laughed, holding on tighter.

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><p>The second I felt he was soundly asleep, I got up and went out to the window, knowing I could probably go and feed before he woke up.<p>

Then again, I was still extremely sore and simply lifting the covers off me took an immense amount of control as I tried not to scream out in pain.

I looked back once more and smiled painfully, watching as he breathed slowly through his mouth, that mouth I still had to kiss…

Shaking myself mentally, I opened the window slowly, and stepped out into the brisk night, shutting the window behind me. I jumped down, landing on the ground and listened carefully, pinpointing my prey.

Being a vampire _was_ difficult.

As if I enjoyed ripping an animal apart, being torn in half by my bloodlust.

_Caroline?_

My focus broke and I looked up, expecting to see Tyler hanging out the window.

_I'll be right back,_ I said, feeling a bit dissatisfied that I hadn't been able to get out without him noticing.

_You were a little __**too**__ focus,_ he explained. _It woke me up._

_Sorry,_ I said, still looking up at the window, expecting him to look out.

_But alright, just hurry up._

_Try going back to sleep,_ I said, pushing myself off the side of the house, listening to the soft heart beat of an elder deer. _I don't want you to be awake when I actually do feed._

_I can't go to sleep in a minute either, Care._ I rolled my eyes, already having expected a counter argument from his part.

_You had me at 'I'm not really sure we can just hang up…'_

I heard his laugh, easy, effortless.

_When I felt you, on the bus, I was feeling really sorry I would possibly have to kill someone as good looking as you._

I stopped, reaching out, strongly grabbing on to the deer.

_Tyler?_ I asked, struggling with the panicking deer in my hands. _Give me a couple of minutes. Please._

_I'm not really sure we can just hang up, but I'll try my best._

_Thank you,_ I thought, flinching as I killed the deer, the sound of breaking bones not my favorite.

It was all part of being a damn vampire though.

I couldn't really complain anymore, and I kind of, sorta felt grateful toward Damon. If he had never changed me into a vampire, if he had never decided to kill me for whatever reasons, I probably wouldn't have someone like Tyler waiting for me while I contradicted myself.

Ever since Damon had killed me, broken every bone in my body, I hated killing people, watching people get killed, and anything to do with killing.

Yet I still went out to kill every other day.

I threw the deer away, obscuring the two pinholes I had made on its neck.

By the time and park rangers found him, some other animal would have gotten to it. Then, it would just seem like the natural circle of life.

Where vampires just happened to be at the top of the food chain.

_Hurry back?_

I smiled, wiping my mouth with my hand, wiping away the extra traces of blood on the grass.

_Let me just make one more quick stop?_

_Not Damon, right?_

_I hadn't even thought of that, but no, I have to go get my clothes and stuff, if I'm going to be staying with you._

_But you're still sore._

I glared at him, not really glaring at him since he was so far away.

_Being busy takes my mind off it._

_And I would rather have you here, until you felt better._

_Ten minutes, Tyler, yea?_ I started running toward the hotel, the blood circulating throughout me making me feel better. _I'm almost already there. Then I just have to stuff my things into the suitcases, and I'll come running back._

_Home,_ he added, not arguing, but also not happy.

_Here already,_ I said, stopping short in front of the building, letting myself in, running up the stairs. I reached for the spare key on top of the door and opened in, bolting inside going frantic.

_It makes me feel better that you're that much in a rush to come back._

_Haha,_ I retorted, turning my drawers inside out, moving throughout my room, throwing every single one of my things inside the bags.

_How many things does a girl have?_ He asked absentmindedly, his thoughts running freely.

_It's now a lifetime of clothing,_ I explained, surprised at how fast I was actually stuffing my bags, zipping one closed, moving to the next. _Since I'm stuck like this forever, these'll be the only clothes I ever get._

_Remind me to tell my mom sometime to take you shopping. I'll tell her it's so you guys can get closer, because you mean so much to me._

_Uh, no thanks, I don't really want you to start wasting your money on me._

He laughed and I dumped the last of my stuff in, zipping the bag closed as well, looking around to see if I could find anything else I had forgotten.

_You're fine,_ Tyler said. _If you're missing anything, I'll get it for you._

I shook my head and started to move out of the house, but then the floor creaked.

And not that random creak floors sometimes made at night, a creak as in someone was inside.

_Tyler,_ I said, running out of the house, not bother to stop to open the doors, running right through them. _Open the door to your house,_ I said. If it was someone like me, they would have trouble getting in his house since he would have to invite them in. If it was someone human, well, I would out run them easily. I tuned into Tyler and saw that he was already downstairs, fiddling with the doors locks.

I was about to slow down, but then I _felt_ someone behind me, _still_ following me.

So they weren't human.

I went into full panic mode, the only thing running through my mind being, _"What if I don't make it back to Tyler?"_

The blood helped me run faster, and I was streaming through the air, landing inside of Tyler's house, landing on my face as I stopped quickly.

"Who was it?" He asked, moving to help me up.

I rubbed my jaw, just adding to the list of things that would later end up bothering me.

"Vampire," I said, turning over, sitting on my behind. "They were-"

"Inside you're apartment, yea, I was with you every step of the way."

"Why?" I asked, almost sounding like I was whining. "It's like you turn into a vampire and suddenly, everything happens to you."

Tyler smiled a bit, and I just started to feel how panicked he actually was.

"I hate to say this," he said, getting up, offering me his hands to get up as well. "But we're going to have to go see Stefan and Damon tomorrow."

"What for?" I asked, moving to get my bags as I steadied myself on my feet.

"If there's anyone who's going to know about any other vampires," he said, taking on of the bags out of my hands, using the other to interlace his fingers with mine. "It'll be them."

"Great." I said, walking up the stairs with him. "Knowing that I'll come face to face with him isn't as thrilling as I thought it would be."

"I doubt he'll try to hurt you," he reassured, looking around. _And it surprises me that my mom didn't wake up…_

We both tuned into the sounds inside of the house, and I heard the soft snores indicating his mom was asleep.

He shook his head, dropping my bag by the door once we were inside of his room.

"She fell asleep to her nature sounds again."

I focused in once more and realized I did hear what sounded like a cascading waterfall.

"Sounds soothing," I said, placing the bag I had next to the other.

"Why don't we now try to get some actual sleep?" He looked behind me, examining the clock, at the same time letting his arms come around me. "Even though it will only be three hours of sleep. Five if we decided to sleep until nine."

"Nine, ten, as long as I finally get to lay down and just relax."

He looked back to me, reaching up to pull something out of my hair, the simple motion wiping away the last trace of panic I had.

"No one's getting to you as long as you're with me," he said, motioning toward the bed.

I blinked slowly, fatigue wearing me down.

And whether my mind was unconscious or not, I had to admit that Tyler Lockwood was the best thing that had ever happened to me.

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><p><strong>Reviews=Inspirations to write.<strong>


	6. Stefan and Damon

**So nothing really to say this time. Sorry it took long.**

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><p>"But, Mom, you don't understand-!"<p>

"Tyler, I understand perfectly, I just don't see why she has to stay here!"

I was sitting on Tyler's bed, listening as he tried to convince his mom to let me stay.

In her defense, we hadn't really prepared her well, for when she came in to check on Tyler in the morning, finding some girl in bed with him didn't really convince her all that well.

"You can't just throw her out in the streets!" _If she says no… I don't know, but you're staying here._

"Tell me someone who knows her who would be willing to say we can trust her."

_God I hate this,_ he thought, releasing his frustration.

I thought hard as to who would be able to stand in my defense, and almost slapped myself for not having thought of it before.

_Stefan and Damon!_ I exclaimed mentally, getting up and moving to look out the window, now excited to head out and see them.

"Stefan and Damon," he said, professing my thought calmly.

"Damon Salvatore?" She asked, almost as if she wasn't going to believe it.

"Yea, the guy on the Council. His brother practically grew up with her."

"But where is she coming from? Why didn't she come with them before? Where's her family?"

"Her mom was sick," he explained, dealing with this better than I was. "Disease, she died. Her dad, well, her dad got up and left." _I hate having to say this was what happened, but I really don't want to tell her the other reality either…_

_No, no, Tyler, it's fine. Thank you, really._

"And she grew up with Stefan?"

"Yes, and you know Stefan, not as well as you know Damon, but you know how calm he is."

"I'd rather hear this from Stefan and Damon's mouths," she said. "That way, I know it's true."

_I'll be right back,_ I thought to him, knowing I could probably go and look for Stefan in time before her mom went to see them.

"I'll stop by their home after work, but just be careful while I'm gone."

"If anyone's the one you have to worry about, it's me," Tyler said, sounding as if he was rolling his eyes. _Hold on, just let her go, then we'll go see them together. I really don't know why she doesn't think we can go see them now and convince them._

His mom sighed but I heard her get up and walk out of the kitchen, hesitate by the stairs, the ones that would lead straight up to Tyler's room, but then continued, out of the house.

Once the door shut and I heard the car's engine roar, I ran downstairs, smiling expectantly at Tyler.

"Might as well get comfortable," he said, getting up. "By the time she gets to Stefan, we'll have him agreeing with us."

"Okay, but can we go now?" I asked, letting him reach for my hand, holding on tightly. "I actually want to see them now, Stefan in particular."

"Stefan? Why?"

I shrugged, not knowing the exact reason behind my sudden excitement. "He's the one that kept me from being blood crazed, he's the one that helped me out, he's the nice, and I want to meet this Elena girl you mentioned yesterday."

"She's human," he said. "And she knows they're vampires and about all of their things…"

"So she would probably know about me?"

He shrugged. "Maybe, depends on how much Damon and Stefan want to let her in."

"Okay, okay, come on," I tugged slightly on his hand. "The more you say the more I want to get the details."

He grimaced. "I think I like you better when you sleep."

I groaned, turning, searching for his keys.

"Come on," he said, producing his keys from his pocket. "But I'll drive, since you seemed a little too hyped up to actually do any sensible driving.

I winked at him and ran outside, waiting by the car.

_I'm starting to think you want the Salvatore brothers more than you do me._

"Don't be silly, Tyler. Who did I change for?"

"Remind me when we're over there," he said, locking the door on his way out. "I have to get Bonnie to change us back, before the next moon."

"I don't mind changing again," I replied, getting into his car. "If you were to ask me to change for you again, I wouldn't say no."

"But I wouldn't ask you to change for me, so drop it." He got into the car, not before throwing me a loving glare.

"I'll make sure she doesn't change us back," I joked, not really minding how this worked out. If I changed, fine, if I didn't, I'd be with him every step of the way.

"The hell you would," he retorted, backing up out of the driveway. "You made me leave, I'm making you leave."

Sure, whatever he said.

"And I'm being completely serious, Caroline." I nodded, but still didn't look at him. _**Caroline**__. Either you leave when I tell you to leave or I have Bonnie find something to __**keep**__ you away from me._

"Okay, Tyler," I sighed, turning to look at him. "I'll leave, and I'll know how you felt when you had to leave me."

He reached up to nip my chin.

_Thank you._ _But just to be sure…_

"No!" I snapped. "I was just kidding when I said I wouldn't leave, but that's completely different from keeping me away the entire time."

"So, you'll leave when I tell you to leave?"

"Just as long as it's when you're cringing in pain as well."

He threw another glare my way.

"Fine, only because that's when I left you."

I smiled and reached for his hand, watching as he slipped his fingers between mine.

"Let's go over what we'll do when we get there," he said.

"Well, there's getting them to agree to say that I grew up with them."

"Which I'm pretty sure Stefan would agree too…"

"Damon…" I looked out the window, trying not to be pulled back by my memories. "Who knows how that'll go."

"And then there's the vampire that followed you home yesterday."

"And why the hell he was following me home."

"Who he was."

"What he wanted."

"And…?"

I looked back to him, not sure what else.

"Caroline," he sighed, turning back to the road.

"Umm… Did you mention something while I was asleep or something? Because I'm not really sure what…?"

"I guess it wasn't as obvious, but if they do know who the other vampire was, we have to get them to inform us on everything."

"If they decided to trust us with it."

"They should, because we'll agree to give them the moonstone my Uncle Mason wanted so badly."

"You think that has to do with it?" I asked, intrigued.

"If he wanted it, that means it has at least some sort of importance."

"Step on it, yea, Tyler?

* * *

><p>I felt Damon before I even saw the house.<p>

Or, his aura, you can say.

The dark, gold flecked aura he had, the one I knew was perfectly his, because I could _feel_ his arrogance, the way he was probably smiling cunningly right now.

And then, "Welcome home, _Care."_

I hissed unconsciously and Tyler turned to look at me, turning the corner, the house coming into view.

_He talked to me,_ I explained, and I didn't even have to say he. _He thinks he can just talk to me like nothing ever happened._

Tyler stopped the car in front of their house, and Stefan came out, looking just like he had a year back.

We got out at the same time, Tyler and I, and Bonnie walked out of the house, looking satisfied, followed by a taller brunette, one that immediately reached for Stefan.

_Elena,_ Tyler informed, moving closer to me, stepping slightly in front of me.

"Caroline?" Stefan asked, once we were on the bottom of the steps.

"One and only," I said, standing there awkwardly, wanting nothing more than to disappear with Tyler back to his house, spend the rest of the day there.

Elena smiled at me and slowly stepped down the stairs.

"You're the one he changed?" She asked.

So she knew.

I nodded, looking behind Stefan, expecting to see Damon smiling at me, but I didn't see him.

She nodded and stopped in front of me.

"I can honestly tell you he's not at all happy that he did change you," she started, taking me completely off guard. "When he did decided to tell me, he was completely torn up by it, and I could tell he regretted it. He said that if he could take it back-"

"I probably wouldn't let him," I interrupted, smiling at her, showing her I didn't mean any bad intentions, that I was speaking honestly.

She looked surprised and I nodded toward Tyler, looping my hand through his.

"A vampire and a werewolf?" Stefan asked, stepping down form his spot.

"Stefan," Elena said, as if shunning him.

"A vampire and a human?" I contradicted, smiling brightly at him. "Honestly, Stefan, what are you going to do?"

"You're admitting it now?" Bonnie asked, stepping down as well. "You _like_ him?"

Tyler laughed, dropping his head, awkwardly shaking his head.

"Where's Damon?" I asked, loud enough for him to hear.

"Well, let's start off with this," Stefan said. "Why are you here?"

"As in in your house here or-?"

"In Mystic Falls here."

"I don't know," I shrugged. "I came here because the Life Force, aura thing was so strong, I figured no one would notice if I fed on-" His eyes widened in surprise. "Rabbits!" I added. "You were the one that showed me how to feed on rabbits, why would you think I would do differently?"

"Why don't you help her, Stefan?" Elena asked. "You've been drinking the blood bags we've gotten form the hospital. I'm sure if we got her into the same habit you're in, she'll be more in control."

He nodded and smiled.

"How about it, Caroline?"

I was going to agree, reluctantly, but Tyler mentally nudged me.

_To have them agree with us, Bonnie switch us, and yesterday's vampire._

"Right…" I said. "Maybe some other time," I said. "And I don't want to procrastinate on that, but the reason Tyler and I are _here_ is because, well-"

"We want to get you and Damon to agree that when my mom comes by later in the afternoon, that you two will agree to say that Caroline is trustworthy, that she would be safe staying in my house."

"You already moved in with him?" Bonnie asked, smiling widely.

I shot her a begging look to save the teasing for later.

"You're mom doesn't want her staying with you?"

"I guess having woken up in the same bed didn't work in out favor."

He nodded, understanding dawning on him.

"So, what's the story?"

"Seriously?" I asked, smiling. "You'll do it?"

He nodded, smiling sternly. "I'm sure you'll make a great edition to our little group."

Nodding as well, I said, "Well, we knew each other when we were little. Say how we went to the same school, but then we went to different schools because we specialized in different things or something. And that when you were leaving, we were like best friends."

"And Damon would have to say what?"

"Don't worry about Damon," a new voice said. "I'm sure we can just compel her into believing the little vampire's safe."

I looked toward him, flinching slightly as I saw him walking out of the house, that sly smile plastered all over his face.

"Remember," Elena said, tugging on my hand. "No matter how arrogant he may seem, he regrets it."

"It's about time I claim my property," he said, moving past Bonnie, Stefan and Elena, standing directly beside me. "But what are you doing with a werewolf?"

"Damon," Stefan interjected, moving as if to move between us in case we showed any signs of retaliation.

"I really don't have time to get into those explanations," I said, shaking my head slowly. "If you just agree to help me out now, I'll tell you anything you want later."

Tyler squeezed my hand, drawing Damon's attention.

_He won't do anything,_ he said, watching Damon as close as he was watching me. _If he does, we can just lock him up with me when I change._

"Can you just agree to say how you always saw Stefan and me playing in the meadows or something?"

He widened his eyes a bit. "You sure you won't try to rip her throat off?"

"I'm positive, or else I would've already gone for someone else."

He cocked his head to the side, studying me.

"If I recall, you _did _go after someone. A lot of someone's in particular."

"So much for regretting it, huh?" I retorted, shrugging at Elena. "But will you just agree to it Damon? I'm not going to and I haven't killed anyone in Mystic Falls."

He still looked at me, but then nodded.

"Fine, but tomorrow, you spend the day with me-" Tyler pulled me back, away from Damon. "Ah, I figured you'd react like this."

"What do you want with her?" He asked, causing Stefan to step forward, holding him back slightly. Bonnie and Elena took up either side of me.

"Are you really just going to let them solve this?" I asked, feeling defenseless standing there.

They looked at me as if I were crazy.

"Right," I said, shaking my head. "Vampire, humans."

I ran forward and pulled Tyler away, stepping out of Damon's way.

_Hold it, Tyler. Remember? He isn't going to hurt me._

He glared at me, but then calmed down, letting out the breath he was holding in.

"So we have a deal?" Damon asked, stepping forward, placing his arm on my shoulder. "I tell Carole you're safe, and you spend the day with me tomorrow?"

I glanced at Elena and Bonnie, and only received a reassuring look from Elena.

_If you don't want to do it,_ Tyler began, reaching for me again. _Just tell me and we'll leave, we'll try to compel her._

_I'm not strong enough for that,_ I replied, looking at Damon.

"Fine. You have a deal."

He nodded and smiled, squeezing my shoulder than letting me go. He stirred the air around me and it triggered something inside of me.

"It was _you_?" I asked, my mouth dropping open.

He turned and winked.

"I had to check up on my little prodigy eventually, right?"

He turned back and walked back into the house.

"What was that?" Bonnie asked.

"I went to my old apartment yesterday," I sad, giving her the shorter version. "After I finished packing my things, and I was leaving, I felt someone inside the apartment with me. I ran away, and I figured it was a human or something, a robber that had gotten in, but they had still been following me, and I realized they were a vampire.

"And it was Damon."

Tyler sighed.

_What exactly does he want with you? _I turned to smile at him.

_Whatever he wants, you're all I want okay?_

He smiled back at me.

"So that takes care of two things," I turned to Bonnie. "Can you switch us back now?"

"So that takes care of two things," I turned to Bonnie. "Can you switch us back now?"

She smiled back, nodding.

"How'd it go?" She asked, looking between Tyler and I.

"I should just hurt you for having agreed to switch us," Tyler added.

Elena clapped her hands together, placing them over her mouth.

Stefan laughed once, putting his arm around her.

"Bonnie wasn't kidding when she said you guy were mates." She said, beaming at me.

I smiled wryly, feeling as awkward as Tyler probably felt a while ago.

"Come on in," Bonnie said. "Let me just find the book again and I'll have you two back to normal."

I looked back to Tyler and pulled him by the arm.

_Might as well get over all this awkwardness,_ I said, trying not to be to aware of the fact that Stefan and Elena were probably speculating at us.

_I'm comfortable around you, not everyone else._

As we sat down for Bonnie to switch us back, I began to feel just some of what Tyler would feel, about how he told me he felt so alone at times.

Yea, I would have my depressing moments where I didn't want to talk to anyone, but the way Tyler felt made me vow to never leave him.

And to never let him leave me.

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